Ovulation is the fifth vital sign of health for women. Healthy ovulation is the result of multiple hormones reaching adequate levels. These hormones affect so much more than “simply” the reproductive system. Our reproductive hormones impact every area of our health. When a woman experiences healthy ovulatory cycles, that indicates that the rest of her body is functioning well.
How can we tell that ovulation is happening? One of the first and best steps to checking this fifth vital sign is through fertility awareness charting, like using the FEMM app or charting on a paper chart.
What causes ovulation?
Ovulation is the act of the female reproductive cell, the ovum (or egg), being released from the ovary into the fallopian tube. The four primary reproductive hormones are follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen, and progesterone. These four hormones work in a cascade, each triggering the next as they reach appropriate levels for ovulation.
At the beginning of the ovulation cycle (also known as the menstrual cycle), FSH stimulates a follicle to bring forth multiple eggs. One egg is then chosen. As the egg grows and matures within the follicle, estrogen rapidly rises. The pattern of increasing estrogen stimulates LH to surge. The LH surge causes the egg to be released into the fallopian tubes (ovulation) and makes the empty follicle turn into the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces progesterone at a rapidly increasing rate; it also produces some estrogen. If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum begins to degenerate approximately 10-12 days after ovulation, causing the ovulation cycle to start over.
How does FEMM charting show signs of ovulation?
When the female reproductive hormones are healthy, they cause the body to produce various biomarkers including changes in cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and cervical position. Changes in these hormones can also be detected in over-the-counter urinary or saliva tests. FEMM charting focuses on the biomarkers of menstruation, cervical mucus, and LH surge urinary tests to demonstrate how the four main reproductive hormones change throughout the cycle.
FEMM has objective measurements of menstruation and cervical mucus to help women understand what is healthy and what warrants concern. Healthy menstruation should be 3-7 days in length with at least one heavy or medium day and minimal spotting and brown bleeding. A woman should expect to lose around 80 ml of blood. A healthy cervical mucus pattern includes 5-6 days of increasingly estrogenic mucus with at least 2-3 of those days having the characteristics of stretchy, clear, and/or slippery.
When a woman follows FEMM’s evidence-based charting instructions, she can detect the approximate time of ovulation through changes in cervical mucus and LH (or ovulation) tests. The guidelines for charting through FEMM can also help a woman detect potential hormonal imbalances warranting medical management referral. Ovulation is a vital sign for health. When a woman is experiencing an objectively unhealthy cycle, through FEMM, she can address her hormonal disorders at their root cause and improve her overall health.
The bottom line
Ovulation is a vital sign of health for women because it indicates overall health and wellbeing. Ovulation can be detected through evidence-based biomarker charting, like FEMM. FEMM charting involves so much more than simply recognizing a fertile period. It helps a woman to detect potential hormonal (and overall health) concerns and access medical management that will treat the root cause of the problem.
